Regenerator masses for regenerative heat exchangers



" A ril 3, 1956 G. SCHOLL 2,740,615

REGENERATOR MASSES FOR REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGERS Filed Nov. 21, 1950 REGENERATQR MASSES FOR REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGERS Giinter Schiiil, Esslingen (Neckar), Germany Application November 21, 1950, Serial No. 196,729

Claims priority, application Germany November 12, 1949 8 Claims. (Cl. 257-6) This invention concerns regenerator masses for regenerative heat exchangers comprising thin accumulator components which permit of air flowing therethrough, these parts being made from wire and disposed contiguously in several layers, gripped at their ends, freely suspended, and extending parallel to one another.

According to the present invention a regenerator mass of this kind includes accumulator parts consisting of coil springs of thin wire, and which, when the springs are gripped between the spring convolutions form disengaged clearances of flexible and oscillable through-flow cross sections for the heat carrier. This heat carrier preferably flows transversely to the axes of the springs, and may be air, furnace or line gas or the like. The wire windings themselves constitute oscillable, heat exchanging and heat accumulating hot surfaces.

The arrangement of the present invention has the result that the heat exchanging surfaces are continuously self cleaning or capable of being cleaned with only small expenditure of work, so that detrimental blockages of the cross-section presented to the flow or fouling of the hot surfaces even with furnace gases, having a substantial flue ash content, are avoided. Likewise it is possible to provide large surfaces per unit volume in a simple and inexpensive manner.

The essence of the invention is somewhat more fully explained with reference to the accompanying drawings which show various examples of regenerator masses in accordance with the invention.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic, fragmentary, sectional, elevational view illustrating the manner in which a heat exchanger band is mounted for movement through a pair of chambers;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a different manner of mounting a heat exchanger band for movement through a pair of chambers;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken along the length of a heat exchanger band constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a different embodiment of a heat exchanger band;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one of the sealing plates used with the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 7 is an end view of a different arrangement of coil springs capable of being used in a heat exchanger band of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the ar ran ement of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4.

Figs. 3 and 7 show cylindrical coil springs, serving as a heat accumulator.

Fig. 5 shows a front elevation of a different type of coil spring.

Patented Apr. 3., 1956 Figs. 7 and 8 show a further arrangement of springs which can be used asregenerator masses.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 1 the heat exchanger is formed from an endlessv band which consists of endless coil springs disposed in tightly contiguous relationship which run round rollers 4 like a driving belt and themselves constitute the heat conveying chain-baud. With this, moveover, several layers of coil springs disposed one above another can be used, which are separated from one another by transversely disposed springs and/or spacing plates and likewise run around rollers like a driving belt. By inserting strips of plate into the convolutions of the circulating, endless spring band, and in fact at right angles to the direction of movement thereof, a flow of gas within the band can be prevented in or against its direction of motion and hence mixing of the two heat carriers, such as, for example, flue gas. and air is also avoided.

The last mentioned form in which the regenerator mass of the invention is applied has the advantage that the circulation of the spring band or bands round the rollers, as a result of the elastic deformation by small expansions and compressions of the spring convolutions a continuous self cleaning takes place. A particularly favorable exploitation of the whole temperature gradient between the medium which gives up its heat and the medium receiving heat can be achieved, in that the coil spring band 5 according to:

Fig. 2 traverses, running sinuously around numerous rollers, in various trains, first of all the channel I of the medium giving off heat, thus for example a furnace gas channel, and then finally in the same Way the channel II of the heat receiving medium, for example air, so that the heat carrier (furnace gas or air respectively) extends through the direction of flow indicated by the arrows A, B in the two channels which are separate from one another opposite to the general direction of movement of the heatconveying spring band 5. In spite of multiple transits through the two channels I, II enclosing the different heat carriers, the endless coil spring band 5 requires, with this arrangement just as with the simple loop circuit of Fig. 1, only two openings, for instance slots 7, for the passage from one channel to the other and back again into the first- A procedure for building up the spring-bands with disposition of springs transverse or oblique to the direction of movement of the band consists, in accordance with:

Figs. 3 and 4 in the employment of springs which are wound in different rotary directions and of which the coil separation is likewise at least the thickness of the spring wire.

With these, alternately a right-handed spring 9 is pressed into a left-handed spring 10 disposed parallel to it up to the intersection of the next coil part which is disposed parallel to it and by means of the hollow intersection space thereby formed in each case a straight wire 11 is put in which, as with the bolts of a Galls chain, connect the spring coils with one another. In stead of an inserted wire small pieces of tube strung on a wire could also be used for the same purpose, or coil springs of small diameter, with narrower or greater coil separation than the main springs of the hand, or again strips of plate or the like may be employed.

If the springs for the construction of the band are dis posed obliquely to the direction of its movement, when such a spring band travels round over the rollers there occurs a weak extension and compression of the spring coils and with it a self-cleaning of the band. The extension and compression of the spring coils is, with this arrangement, increased when smaller angles between the obliquely disposed springs and the direction of movement of the band are selected.

Fig. 5 shows a spring band similar to Fig. 3 which is composed of flatly wound or pressed springs instead of cylindrical springs.

Figs. 7 and 8 show two coil springs 1 and 2 of different diameters, fitted one within the other, which can be used as regenerator masses.

Strips of plate of the height of the inside spring diameter in the interior of the springs in the direction of the principal axis are provided for the purpose of sealing chambers I and II from each other and the surfaces of the strips of plate extend at right angles to the direction of movement of the band. if these plates 12 (Fig. 6) maintain the height of the external diameter of the springs and if there are synchronized indentations 33, they can be screwed in to the springs like a screw-thread.

By the interweaving of an endless spring band provided in this manner with strips of plate (Fig. 9), from one channel to the other by slots accurately synchronised on the thickness of the band or by means of fiat connecting channels corresponding to the thickness of the band between the main channels, it is possible, as a result of the labyrinth efiect of the plate strips, to achieve in the band an excellent sealing-elf even with large pressure diiferences between the two main channels which contain the difierent heat carriers.

I claim:

l. Heat transfer apparatus, comprising in combination, a first chamber from which heat is to be transferred; a second chamber to which heat is to be transferred; and an endless self-sealing band means for storing heat in said first chamber and for giving up heat in said second chamber, said band means being partially supported in each of said chambers for continuous movement between the same, and said band means being made up of a plurality of interlocked oscillable coil springs movable with respect to each other to auto matically clean themselves and so that the fluid passing through said chambers may pass through said band means in a direction transverse to the movement thereof whereby said band is not only heat-transferring but is also self-cleaning.

2. Heat transfer apparatus, comprising in combination, a first chamber from which heat is to be transferred; a second chamber to which heat is to be transferred; a pair of duct means each of which interconnects said chambers; a heat-conductive endless band means partially supported in each of said chambers for continuous movement between the same and through said duct means, said band means being made up of a plurality of pivotally interlocked oscillable coil springs so that the fluid passing through said chambers may pass through said band means in a direction transverse to the movement thereof whereby said band is not only heat-transferring but is also self-cleaning; and sealing means mounted on said band means within said coil I springs for movement therewith through said duct means so as to seal said chambers from each other.

3. Heat transfer apparatus, comprising in combination, a first chamber from which heat is to be transferred; a second chamber to which heat is to be transferred; a pair of duct means each of which interconnects said chambers; a plurality of pulleys mounted in each of said chambers between said pairs of duct means; 7

and a heat-conductive endless band means passing over said pulleys in each of said chambers for continuous movement between the same and through said duct Tineans so that said band means passes a plurality of times across each chamber before passing through said therewith through said duct means so as to seal said chambers from each other.

4. Heat transfer apparatus, comprising in combination, a first chamber from which heat is to be transferred; a second chamber to which heat is to be transferred; a heat-conductive endless baud means partially supported in each of said chambers for continuous movement between the same, said band means being made up of a plurality of pivotally interlocked oscillable coil springs so that the fluid passing through said chambers may pass through said band means in a direction transverse to the movement thereof, each of the coil springs of said band means having convolutions partially overlapping the convolutions of an adjacent coil spring so as to provide a space between each pair of adjacent convolutions whereby said band is not only heat-transferring but is also self-cleaning; a substantially straight wire extending through said space to interlock said coil springs to each other and a sealing plate located in each coil spring extending along the length thereof for movement therewith through said chambers so that said plates seal said chambers from each other during movement between said chambers.

5. Heat transfer apparatus, comprising in combination, a first chamber from which heat is to be transferred; a second chamber to which heat is to be transferred; a pair of duct means each of which interconnects said chambers; a heat-conductive endless band means partially supported in each of said chambers for continuous movement between the same and through said duct means, said band means being made up of a plurality of pivotally interlocked oscillable coil springs so that the fluid passing through said chambers may pass through said band means in a direction transverse to the movement thereof whereby said band is not only heat-transferring but is also self-cleaning; and sealing means mounted on said band means for movement therewith through said duct means so as to seal said chambers from each other, said sealing means comprising a plurality of plates mounted respectively within said coil springs and extending transversely to the direction of movement of said band means so as to pass with the latter through said pair of duct means to seal the same and so as to permit the fluid in said chambers to freelyv flow in a direction transverse to said band means.

6. A heat transfer spring band consisting of an endless band of pivotally interlocked, oscillable heat-conductive transversely extending coil springs, and a plurality of closing plates respectively mounted within some of said transversely extending coil springs and extending in the longitudinal direction thereof and normal to the direction of said band so as to seal a duct through which said spring band passes.

7. A heat transfer spring band consisting of an endless band of pivotally interlocked, oscillable heat-conductive transversely extending coil springs, each of which has the convolutions thereof partially overlapping the convolutions of an adjacent coil spring so as to provides space betweeneach pair of adjacent coil springs; a substantially straight wire extending through said space to interlock each pair of adjacent coil springs of said band whereby the latter cleans itself during oscillations thereof; and a plurality of closing plates respectively mounted within some of said coil springs, extending in and wherein said coil springs have the coils thereof flattened with. opposite sides of each coil located next to each other, and wherein said sealing meansis formed by those pcrtions of said opposite sides of each boil which face each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Peirce et a1. May 30, 1905 Dowd, Jr. Jan. 1, 1929 Jones July 21, 1931 Omsted Jan. 8, 1935 Spicer June 21, 1936 6 Hatter Mar. 28, 1939 Roe Oct. 8, 1940 Pink Sept. 9, 1941 Gaertner Mar. 27, 1945 Hale Aug. 24, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 13, 1926 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1935 

